Volume 9 Number 4                                                           Summer 2000                                                                          Page  5

onded the motion and it was approved.

Logo/Patch:  Steve Decker passed around samples for voting as well as a patch prepared by Maria. The results were inconclusive.

TGMS Poster Agreement: Les read the agreement to the group along with changes specified by Paul Harter. One specification is that the agreement automatically renew every 4 years unless terminated. The Foundation will purchase 8,500 posters, at a cost of $.25 each, from several different years and will give TGMS 15% of the sales proceeds. TGMS will fund and produce each current year's edition.  AMMMF is responsible for selling the poster at each Tucson show. All net proceeds from the Tucson Show sales for the current poster are paid to the Tucson Show Committee. The first edition sales normally cover expenses and produce a profit of about $2,000.

Les said that inventory control, sample book and preservation of the posters all have to be worked out. The plan is to have Email order sales. Those selling could receive a commission on sales to cover costs and time. Posters will be offered to the Museum Gift Store.  It was suggested a depreciation fee schedule be established. A committee of three or four members will be established to set up the operating criteria for sales of the posters and other items sold by the Foundation. Steve Decker moved that the Foundation accept the agreement as read with Paul Harter's changes. Genie Howell seconded the motion and it was approved.

Life Memberships: Les reminded the group of the tremendous donations the Foundation has received from various individuals. Would the group think about whether instituting lifetime memberships might be indicated and if so, what qualifying criteria would be established.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 and we looked at the new stands in the Collection Room. They do provide an improved presentation and the committee is to be congratulated for its choices and work.


Respectfully submitted,

Lavone Archer, Corresponding Secretary

Reminisces of a Mineral Dealer & Collector
by Sam Nasser
I was speaking with Dr. Ray Grant at his home the other day and we got on the subject of our beginnings in the world of geology. I recalled my first experience as  a dealer. My uncle had a farm in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in the heart of Anthracite coal country. At that time, there were literally mountains of coal mine waste everywhere.  The fossils that my cousins and I found in these heaps of slate were "magical". The fern fossils were sometimes preserved in red ochre hematite, which, to a 6 or 7 year old boy seemed like dragon teeth. We would take these different Pennsylvanian plant
fossils out to the roadside and sell them along with sweet corn and tomatoes. We did  this to get a few quarters for a couple of boxes of .22 bullets so we could go to the town dump and shoot rats. So began my endeavors in the sales of rocks. My family moved to Arizona in 1959.  I found a few arrowheads and mano/matates around the farms near Glendale with the help of my folks' neighbors, who did farming in this area. It was when I attended Glendale Community College that I met Wayne Thompson. I was soon introduced to his friend, Les Presmyk. When Wayne took me to Les' folks house, I was more impressed with the indoor swimming pool with a trapeze than with meeting Les. This soon changed as we all started to go out field collecting. Les went on to the U of A to obtain his engineering degree, and the rest of us attended Geology classes at Glendale Community College. During this time my lifelong friendships with Wayne and Les were formed. J.R. "Bob" Thompson replaced our first year instructor, Ben Benham, who taught at Phoenix College for many more years. Bob Thompson's first address to our class of 9 or 10 students, was," I heard that you all think that you are a bunch of hotshots". Well, we

(Continued on page 6)

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